About Space and
the Seasons
Let's
Learn
MILLION WORD GAP PROJECT
www.hope-hear.org
#HOPE-learn
The Hope-Hear Million word gap project by
Hope-Hear NPC, 2024 / 064699 / 08
is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution -
Non-Commercial 3.0 Unported License
Explaining big ideas like space, the universe, the moon, and seasons
to a small child might seem too complicated, but it is actually really
important!
Children are naturally curious. They ask "why" and "how" all the time.
By introducing concepts like the moon or the seasons, you're helping
them to learn about the world around them and satisfying their
curiosity.
Even though they might not fully understand these big ideas yet,
learning about them helps them to build a foundation for later
learning. Just like learning simple words or numbers, understanding
things like the sun or the moon helps them connect ideas together as
they grow.
Children notice things like the moon in the sky, the changing weather,
and different seasons. When you talk to them about why these things
happen (like why it gets colder in the winter or why the moon changes
shape), it helps them make sense of their world. It turns everyday
observations into exciting discoveries!
Talking about space and the universe may spark imagination. They
might start dreaming up fun ideas about stars, planets, or space
adventures. This kind of thinking is great for developing creativity and
problem-solving skills.
Explaining the phases of the moon or how seasons change can make
nature more exciting for them. You can go outside together and look
for the moon, see the leaves change color, or watch clouds. These
experiences can be fun and help kids connect with the natural world.
Learning is fun, reading is educational, and it helps children to start
understanding how the world works. It gives them a sense of wonder
and excitement about the world they live in!
It takes the Earth 365 days to
travel around the Sun.
That is why 1 year is 365 days.
It takes the moon 28 days to
travel around the earth.
Quarter moon
These are the phases of
the moon as it travels
around Earth.
New moon
Full
moon
Crescent moonGibbous moon
Let’s look at the Earth as it travels around
the Sun.
Imagine you live in the same country as
Jasmine.
She lives where marks the spot.
Can you find the in each of the
globes below?
Which line is longer?
The black line?
Or the white line?
Yes! The black line is longer!
So the Earth is further away from the
sun in position 1 (autumn) compared to
position 3 (summer).
1 2
3
4
Look closely at the
two black lines.
Can you see that that Jasmine
is closer to the sun in position 2
(spring) compared to position 3
(autumn)?
In position 4 Jasmine is far away
from the sun, which is why we feel
colder in winter.
1 2
3
4
So when the earth and the
are facing the sun, it is warm.
When the earth is closer to the
sun it is summer and when it is
a bit further away, it is spring.
Summer
Spring
Hot
Playing outside
Beach
Sandcastles
Balls
Seagulls
Ice-cream
Buttefly
Christmas beetles
Summer
Flowers
Tree blossoms
Mosquitoes
Bird sounds
Dragon fly
Baby animals
Insects
Spring
When the earth and the
are facing away from the
sun, it is cold.
When the earth is closer to
the sun it is autumn and
when it is further away, it
is winter.
Winter
Autumn
Changing leaves
Colder
Autumn
Darker earlier
Cold
Wet
Hot chocolate
Bare trees
Less birds
No insects
Winter
Let’s go through it
again.
Autumn Spring
Winter
Summer
